Birmingham couple facing jail for ripping off second-hand car buyers with deathtrap motors

A couple have been found guilty of being part of a 'dishonest scheme' selling dangerous second-hand cars. A trial heard Sajad Hamid, 46, and Aisah Rashid, 37, used misleading adverts on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Gumtree and Auto Trader describing vehicles as 'stunning' when in reality many were unroadworthy.

The couple operated from their home in Vibart Road, Yardley, using fake names, businesses and addresses and supplied customers with counterfeit documents like service histories with forged stamps. A Birmingham Crown Court jury was told car buyers who complained were met with aggression and excuses while their requests for refunds were rejected or completely ignored.

On Friday, November 22, the couple were both found guilty of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of money laundering. Sentencing was adjourned until January 17 next year.

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Their son Mohammed Sajad, in his 20s, was jailed last year for two years and 11 months having pleaded guilty to the same offences for his own involvement. Mark Jackson, prosecuting for Birmingham City Council, opened the case against his parents earlier this month.

He said: "Between at least the May, 1 2018 and January, 30 2021 a dishonest scheme was being run out of a residential property at Vibart Road in the Yardley area of Birmingham. That property, owned by Sajad Hamid, was the family's home address so both defendants and Mohammed Sajad lived there.

"The dishonest scheme was a criminal operation concerned with advertising and selling second-hand motor vehicles, many of which were unroadworthy and dangerous, with literally dozens and dozens of second-hand vehicles being sold using false business names, identities and fake or forged documents including false service histories and, in some cases, clocked odometer."

He added: "With advertisements being placed online, in the main, prospective customers' or victims' initial contact was made via email, or via the telephone. Advertisements made false representations about a vehicle, and when a victim made contact to ask further questions and or to arrange a viewing, or a sale, over and over again they were given wholly dishonest and misleading information about the vehicle that had been advertised and that they were enquiring about."

The family used business names Yew Tree Cars, Sam Harrison Cars, James Harrison Cars and Lee Hudson Cars while customers were often met by a salesperson on the phone or at the Yardley address who called himself 'Adam'. The jury heard around a dozen accounts from people swindled by them.

Arguably the most serious case concerned a Ford Ka bought by a man for £900 which was advertised as being 'maintained to a very high standard' with the bodywork and interior being in 'excellent' condition. But after driving it back to Lancashire he noticed the petrol tank was rusty and corroded, so he took it to a garage.

Mr Jackson said: "In short, he was told he was lucky to be alive given he had driven the car from Birmingham and that the car could have blown up at any time. He was told the car was too dangerous to drive - he walked home. The car was a timebomb on wheels and was a danger to anyone driving it, to anyone travelling in it, and to other road users."

Other vehicles bought for thousands of pounds were similarly described as 'deathtraps'. One customer, who complained to the family that the main frame on the £4,250 Land Rover Discovery he bought was severely corroded, was told 'tough luck'.